The
Incarnation of the Lord
From THE
MYSTICAL CITY OF GOD, Ven. Mary Agreda
TAN
Books and Publishers; With Ecclesiastical Appr.

Thereupon
His Majesty announced to all the other Angels that the time of the
Redemption
had come and that He had commanded it to be brought to the world
without
delay; for already, in their own presence, the most holy Mary had been
prepared and adorned to be His Mother, and had been exalted to the
supreme
dignity. The heavenly Spirits heard the voice of their Creator, and
with
incomparable joy and thanksgiving for the fulfillment of His eternal
and
perfect will, they intoned new canticles of praise, repeating therein
that
hymn of Sion: "Holy, holy, holy art Thou, God and Lord Sabaoth (Is. 6,
3). Just and powerful art Thou, Lord our God, Who livest in the highest
(Ps. 112, 5) and lookest upon the lowly of the earth. Admirable are all
Thy works, most high and exalted in Thy designs."
The supernal prince Gabriel, obeying with singular delight the Divine
command
and accompanied by many thousands of most beautiful Angels in visible
forms,
descended from the highest Heaven. The appearance of the great prince
and
legate was that of a most handsome youth of rarest beauty; his face
emitted
resplendent rays of light, his bearing was grave and majestic, his
advance
measured, his motions composed, his words weighty and powerful, his
whole
presence displayed a pleasing, kindly gravity and more of godlike
qualities
than all the other Angels until then seen in visible form by the
heavenly
Mistress. He wore a diadem of exquisite splendor and his vestments
glowed
in various colors full of refulgent beauty. Encased on his breast, he
bore
a most beautiful cross, disclosing the mystery of the Incarnation,
which
He had come to announce. All these circumstances were calculated to
rivet
the affectionate attention of the most prudent Queen.
The whole of this celestial army with their princely leader holy
Gabriel
directed their flight to Nazareth, a town of the province of Galilee,
to
the dwelling place of most holy Mary. This was an humble cottage and
her
chamber was a narrow room, bare of all those furnishings which are wont
to be used by the world in order to hide its own meanness and want of
all
higher goods. The heavenly Mistress was at this time fourteen years,
six
months and seventeen days of age; for her birthday anniversary fell on
the eighth of September and six months seventeen days had passed since
that date, when this greatest of all mysteries ever performed by God in
this world, was enacted in Her.
The bodily shape of the heavenly Queen was well proportioned and taller
than is usual with other maidens of her age; yet extremely elegant and
perfect in all its parts. Her face was rather more oblong than round,
gracious
and beautiful, without leanness or grossness; its complexion clear, yet
of a slightly brownish hue; her forehead spacious yet symmetrical; her
eyebrows perfectly arched; her eyes large and serious, of incredible
and
ineffable beauty and dove-like sweetness, dark in color with a mixture
tending toward green; her nose straight and well shaped; her mouth
small,
with red-colored lips, neither too thin nor too thick. All the gifts of
nature in Her were so symmetrical and beautiful, that no other human
being
ever had the like. To look upon Her caused feelings at the same time of
joy and seriousness, love and reverential fear. She attracted the heart
and yet restrained it in sweet reverence; her beauty impelled the
tongue
to sound her praise, and yet her grandeur and her overwhelming
perfections
and graces hushed it to silence. In all that approached Her, She caused
Divine effects not easily explained; She filled the heart with heavenly
influences and Divine operations, tending toward the Divinity.

Her garments were humble and poor, yet clean, . . . arranged and worn
without
pretense, but with the greatest modesty and propriety. At the time
when,
without her noticing it, the embassy of Heaven drew nigh unto Her, She
was engaged in the highest contemplation concerning the mysteries which
the Lord had renewed in Her by so many favors during the nine preceding
days. And since, as we have said above, the Lord himself had assured
Her
that His Only-begotten would soon descend to assume human form, this
great
Queen was full of fervent and joyful affection in the expectation of
its
execution and inflamed with humble love, She spoke in her heart: "Is it
possible that the blessed time has arrived, in which the Word of the
eternal
Father is to be born and to converse "with men? (Barauch 10, 38). That
the world should possess Him? That men are to see Him in the flesh?
(Is.
40, 5). That His inaccessible light is to shine forth to illumine those
who sit in darkness? (Is. 9, 2). O, who shall be worthy to see and know
Him! O, who shall be allowed to kiss the earth touched by His feet!"

"Rejoice, ye heavens, and console thyself, O earth (Ps. 95, 11); let
all
things bless and extol Him, since already His eternal happiness is
nigh!
O children of Adam, afflicted with sin, and yet creatures of My
Beloved,
now shall you raise your heads and throw off the yoke of your ancient
servitude!
(Is. 14, 25). O, ye ancient Forefathers and Prophets, and all ye just,
that are detained in Limbo and are waiting in the bosom of Abraham, now
shall you be consoled and your much desired and long promised Redeemer
shall tarry no longer! (Agg. 2, 8). Let us all magnify Him and sing to
Him hymns of praise! O who shall be the slave of Her, whom Isaias
points
out as His Mother (Is. 7, 4); O Emmanuel, true God and Man! O key of
David,
Who art to unlock Heaven! (Is. 22, 22). O eternal Wisdom! O Lawgiver of
the new Church! Come, come to us, O Lord, and end the captivity of Thy
people; let all flesh see Thy salvation!" (Is. 40, 5).

In order that the mystery of the Most High might be fulfilled, the holy
Archangel Gabriel, in the shape described in the preceding chapter and
accompanied by innumerable Angels in visible human forms and
resplendent
with incomparable beauty, entered into the chamber, where most holy
Mary
was praying. It was on a Thursday at six o'clock in the evening and at
the approach of night. The great modesty and restraint of the Princess
of Heaven did not permit Her to look at him more than was necessary to
recognize him as an Angel of the Lord. Recognizing him as such, She, in
her usual humility, wished to do him reverence; the holy princes would
not allow it; on the contrary he himself bowed profoundly as before his
Queen and Mistress, in whom he adored the heavenly mysteries of his
Creator.
At the same time he understood that from that day on the ancient times
and the custom of old whereby men should worship Angels, as Abraham had
done (Gen. 38, 2), were changed. For as human nature was raised to the
dignity of God Himself in the person of the Word, men now held the
position
of adopted children, of companions and brethren of the Angels, as the
Angel
said to Evangelist Saint John, when he refused to be worshipped (Apoc.
19, 10).

The holy Archangel saluted our and his Queen and said: "Ave gratia
plena,
Dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus" (Luke 1, 28). Hearing this
new salutation of the Angel, this most humble of all creatures was
disturbed,
but not confused in mind (Luke 1, 29). This disturbance arose from two
causes: first, from her humility, for She thought Herself the lowest of
the creatures and thus in her humility, was taken unawares at hearing
Herself
saluted and called the "Blessed among women;" secondly, when She heard
this salute and began to consider within Herself how She should receive
it, She was interiorly made to understand by the Lord, that He chose
Her
for His Mother, and this caused a still greater perturbance, having
such
an humble opinion of Herself. On account of this perturbance the Angel
proceeded to explain to Her the decree of the Lord, saying: "Do not
fear,
Mary, for thou hast found grace before the Lord (Luke 1, 30); behold
thou
shalt conceive a Son in thy womb, and thou shalt give birth to Him, and
thou shalt name Him Jesus; He shall be great, and He shall be called
Son
of the Most High," and the rest as recorded of the holy Archangel.

Our most prudent and humble Queen alone, among all the creatures, was
sufficiently
intelligent and magnanimous to estimate at its true value such a new
and
unheard of sacrament; and in proportion as She realized its greatness,
so She was also moved with admiration. But She raised her humble heart
to the Lord, Who could not refuse Her any petition, and in the secret
of
her spirit She asked new light and assistance by which to govern
Herself
in such an arduous transaction; for, as we have said in the preceding
chapter,
the Most High, in order to permit Her to act in this mystery solely in
faith, hope and charity, left Her in the common state and suspended all
other kinds of favors and interior elevations, which She so frequently
or continually enjoyed. In this disposition She replied and said to
holy
Gabriel, what is written in Saint Luke: "How shall this happen, that I
conceive and bear; since I know not man?" At the same time She
interiorly
represented to the Lord the vow of chastity, which She had made and the
espousal, which His Majesty had celebrated with Her.

The holy prince Gabriel replied (Luke 1, 24) : "Lady, it is easy for
the
Divine power to make Thee a Mother without the co-operation of man; the
Holy Spirit shall remain with Thee by a new presence and the virtue of
the Most High shall overshadow Thee, so that the Holy of holies can be
born of Thee, Who shall Himself be called the Son of God. And behold,
thy
cousin Elisabeth has likewise conceived a son in her sterile years and
this is the sixth month of her conception; for nothing is impossible
with
God. He that can make her conceive, who was sterile, can bring it
about,
that Thou, Lady, be His Mother, still preserving thy virginity and
enhancing
thy purity.

With these and many other words the ambassador of Heaven instructed the
most holy Mary, in order that, by the remembrance of the ancient
promises
and prophecies of holy Writ, by the reliance and trust in them and in
the
infinite power of the Most High, She might overcome her hesitancy at
the
heavenly message. But as the Lady herself exceeded the Angels in
wisdom,
prudence and in all sanctity, She withheld her answer, in order to be
able
to give it in accordance with the Divine will and that it might be
worthy
of the greatest of all the mysteries and sacraments of the divine
power.
She reflected that upon her answer depended the pledge of the most
blessed
Trinity, the fulfillment of his promises and prophecies, the most
pleasing
and acceptable of all sacrifices, the opening of the gates of Paradise,
the victory and triumph over Hell, the Redemption of all the human
race,
the satisfaction of the Divine justice, the foundation of the new law
of
grace, the glorification of men, the rejoicing of the Angels, and
whatever
was connected with the Incarnation of the Only-begotten of the Father
and
His assuming the form of servant in her virginal womb (Philip 2, 7).

A great wonder, indeed, and worthy of our admiration, that all these
mysteries
and whatever others they included, should be entrusted by the Almighty
to an humble Maiden and made dependent upon her fiat. But befittingly
and
securely He left them to the wise and strong decision of this
courageous
Woman (Prov. 31, 11), since She would consider them with such
magnanimity
and nobility, that perforce His confidence in Her was not misplaced.
The
operations, which proceed within the Divine Essence, depend not on the
co-operation of creatures, for they have no part in them and God could
not expect such co-operations for executing the works ad intra,
but in the works ad extra and such as were contingent, among which
that of becoming man was the most exalted, He could not proceed without
the co-operation of most holy Mary and without her free consent. For He
wished to reach this acme of all the works outside Himself in Her and
that
we should owe this benefit to this Mother of wisdom and our Reparatrix.

Therefore this great
Lady considered and inspected profoundly this spacious field of the
dignity
of Mother of God (Prov. 21, 16) in order to purchase it by her fiat;
She
clothed Herself in fortitude more than human, and She tasted and saw
how
profitable was this enterprise and commerce with the Divinity. She
comprehended
the ways of His hidden benevolence and; adorned Herself with fortitude
and beauty. And having conferred with Herself and with the heavenly
messenger
Gabriel about the grandeur of these high and Divine sacraments, and
finding
Herself in excellent condition to receive the message sent to Her, her
purest soul was absorbed and elevated in admiration, reverence and
highest
intensity of Divine love. By the intensity of these movements and
supernal
affections, her most pure heart, as it were by natural consequence, was
contracted and compressed with such force, that it distilled three
drops
of her most pure blood, and these, finding their way to the natural
place
for the act of conception, were formed by the power of the Divine and
holy
Spirit, into the Body of Christ our Lord. Thus the matter, from which
the
most holy humanity of the Word for our Redemption is composed, was
furnished
and administered by the most pure heart of Mary and through the sheer
force
of her true love. At the same moment, with a humility never
sufficiently
to be extolled, inclining slightly her head and joining her hands, She
pronounced these words, which were the beginning of our salvation:
"Fiat
mihi secundum verbum tuum" (Luke 1,31).

At the pronouncing of this "fiat," so sweet to the hearing of God and
so
fortunate for us, in one instant, four things happened. First, the
most holy Body of Christ our Lord was formed from the three drops of
blood
furnished by the heart of most holy Mary. Secondly, the most holy
Soul of the same Lord was created, just as the other souls. Thirdly,
the Soul and the Body united in order to compose His perfect humanity.
Fourthly,
the Divinity united Itself in the Person of the Word with the humanity,
which together became one composite being in hypostatical union; and
thus
was formed Christ true God and Man, our Lord and Redeemer. This
happened
in springtime on the twenty-fifth of March, at break or dawning of the
day, in the same hour, in which our first father Adam was made and in
the
year of the creation of the world 5199, which agrees also with the
count
of the Roman Church in her Martyrology under the guidance of the Holy
Ghost.
This reckoning is the true and certain one, as was told me, when I
inquired
at command of my superiors. Conformable to this the world was created
in
the month of March, which corresponds to the beginning of creation. And
as the works of the Most High are perfect and complete (Deut. 32, 4),
the
plants and trees come forth from the hands of his Majesty bearing
fruit,
and they would have borne them continually without intermission, if sin
had not changed the whole nature. The Divine Child began to grow in the
natural manner in the recess of the womb, being nourished by the
substance
and the blood of His most holy Mother, just as other men; yet it was
more
free and exempt from the imperfections, to which other children of Adam
are subject in that place and period. For from some of these, namely
those
that are accidental and unnecessary to the substance of the act of
generation,
being merely effects of sin, the Empress of Heaven was free. She was
also
free from the superfluities caused by sin, which in other women are
common
and happen naturally in the formation, sustenance and growth of their
children.
For the necessary matter, which is proper to the infected nature of the
descendants of Eve and which was wanting in Her, was supplied and
administered
in Her by the exercise of heroic acts of virtue and especially by
charity.
By the fervor of her soul and her loving affections the blood and
humors
of her body were changed and thereby Divine Providence provided for the
sustenance of the Divine
Child. Thus in a natural
manner the humanity of our Redeemer was nourished, while His Divinity
was
recreated and pleased with her heroic virtues. Most holy Mary furnished
to the Holy Ghost, for the formation of this Body, pure and limpid
blood,
free from sin and all its tendencies. And whatever impure and imperfect
matter is supplied by other mothers for the growth of their children
was
administered by the Queen of Heaven most pure and delicate in
substance.
For it was built up and supplied by the power of her loving affections
and her other virtues. In a like manner was purified whatever served as
food for the heavenly Queen. For, as She knew that her nourishment was
at the same time to sustain and nourish the Son of God, She partook of
it with such heroic acts of virtue, that the angelic Spirits wondered
how
such common human actions could be connected with such supernal heights
of merit and perfection in the sight of God.

Thus adorned and deified by the Divinity and its gifts, the most holy
soul
of Christ our Lord proceeded in its operations in the following order:
immediately it began to see and know the Divinity intuitively as It is
in Itself and as It is united to His most holy humanity, loving It with
the highest beatific love and perceiving the inferiority of the human
nature
in comparison with the essence of God. The Soul of Christ humiliated
Itself
profoundly, and in this humility It gave thanks to the immutable being
of God for having created It and for the benefit of the hypostatic
union,
by which, though remaining human, it was raised to the essence of God.
It also recognized that His most holy humanity was made capable of
suffering,
and was adapted for attaining the end of the Redemption. In this
knowledge
it offered itself as the Redeemer in sacrifice for the human race (Ps.
39, 8), accepting the state of suffering and giving thanks in His Own
name
and in the name of mankind to the eternal Father. He recognized the
composition
of His most holy humanity, the substance of which it was made, and how
most holy Mary by the force of her charity and of her heroic virtues,
furnished
its substance. He took possession of this holy tabernacle and dwelling;
rejoicing in its most exquisite beauty, and, well pleased, reserved as
His Own property the soul of this most perfect and most pure Creature
for
all eternity.

He praised the eternal
Father for having created Her and endowed Her with such vast graces and
gifts; for having exempted Her and freed Her from the common law of
sin,
as His Daughter, while all the other descendants of Adam have incurred
its guilt (Rom. 5, 18). He prayed for the most pure Lady and for Saint
Joseph, asking eternal salvation for them. All these acts, and many
others,
were most exalted and proceeded from Him as true God and Man. Not
taking
into account those that pertain to the Beatific Vision and love, these
acts and each one by itself, were of such merit that they alone would
have
sufficed to redeem infinite worlds, if such could exist.

Even the act of obedience alone, by which the most holy humanity of the
Word subjected itself to suffering and prevented the glory of His Soul
from being communicated to His Body, was abundantly sufficient for our
salvation. But although this sufficed for our salvation, nothing would
satisfy His immense love for men except the full limit of effective
love
(John 13, 1); for this was the purpose of His life, that He should
consume
it in demonstrations and tokens of such intense love, that neither the
understanding of men nor of Angels was able to comprehend it. And if in
the first instant of His entrance into the world He enriched it so
immeasurably,
what treasures, what riches of merits must He have stored up for it,
when
He left it by His Passion and Death on the Cross after thirty-three
years
of labor and activity all Divine! O immense love! O charity without
limit!
O mercy without measure! O most generous kindness! and, on the other
hand,
O ingratitude and base forgetfulness of mortals in the face of such
unheard
of and such vast benefaction! What would have become of us without Him?
How much less could we do for this our Redeemer and Lord, even if He
had
conferred on us but small favors, while now we are scarcely moved and
obliged
by His doing for us all that He could? If we do not wish to treat as a
Redeemer Him, Who has given us eternal life and liberty, let us at
least
hear Him as our Teacher, let us follow Him as our Leader, as our
guiding
light, which shows us the way to our true happiness.

These operations of
Christ our Lord in the first instant of His conception were followed,
in
another essential instant, by the Beatific Vision of the Divinity, .
.
for in one instant of time many instants of essence can take place. In
this Vision the heavenly Lady perceived with clearness and distinction
the mystery of the hypostatic union of the Divine and the human natures
in the Person of the eternal Word, and the most holy Trinity confirmed
Her in the title and the rights of Mother of God. This in all rigor of
truth She was, since She was the natural Mother of a Son, Who was
eternal
God with the same certainty and truth as He was man. Although this
great
Lady did not directly co-operate in the union of the Divinity with the
humanity, She did not on this account lose her right to be called the
Mother
of the true God; for She concurred by administering the material and by
exerting her faculties, as far as it pertained to a true Mother; and to
a greater extent than to ordinary mothers, since in Her the conception
and the generation took place without the aid of a man. Just as in
other
generations the agents, which bring them about in the natural course,
are
called father and mother, each furnishing that which is necessary,
without
however concurring directly in the creation of the soul, nor in its
infusion
into the body of the child; so also, and with greater reason, most holy
Mary must be called, and did call Herself, Mother of God; for She alone
concurred in the generation of Christ, true God and Man, as a Mother,
to
the exclusion of any other natural cause; and only through this
concurrence
of Mary in the generation, Christ, the Man-God, was born.

But She was especially persistent and fervent in her prayer
to obtain guidance of the Almighty for the worthy fulfillment
of her office as Mother of the Only-begotten of the Father. For this,
before
all other graces, Her humble heart urged Her to desire, and this was
especially
the subject of her solicitude, that She might be guided in all her
actions
as becomes the Mother of God. The Almighty answered Her: "My Dove, do
not
fear, for I will assist thee and guide thee, directing thee in all
things
necessary for the service of My Only-begotten Son." With this promise
She
came to Herself and issued from her ecstasy, in which all that I have
said
had happened, and which was the most wonderful She ever had. Restored
to
her faculties, her first action was to prostrate Herself on the earth
and
adore her holiest Son, God and Man, conceived in her virginal womb; for
this She had not yet done with her external and bodily senses and
faculties.
Nothing that She could do in the service of her Creator, did this most
prudent Mother leave undone. From that time on She was conscious of
feeling
new and Divine effects in her holiest soul and in her exterior and
interior
faculties. And although the whole tenor of her life had been most noble
both as regards her body as her soul; yet on this day of the
incarnation
of the Word it rose to still greater nobility of spirit and was made
more
godlike by still higher reaches of grace and indescribable gifts.

WORDS
of the QUEEN

My
dearest daughter, many times I have confided and manifested to thee the
love burning within my bosom: for I wish that it should be ardently
re-enkindled
within thy own, and that thou profit from the instruction, which I give
thee. Happy is the soul, to which the Most High manifests His holy and
perfect will; but more happy and blessed is he, who puts into
execution,
what he has learned. In many ways God shows to mortals the highways and
pathways of eternal life: by the Gospels and the holy Scriptures, by
the
Sacraments and the laws of the holy Church, by the writings and
examples
of the Saints, and especially, by the obedience due to the guidings of
its ministers, of whom His Majesty said: "Whoever hears you, hears Me;"
for obeying them is the same as obeying the Lord Himself. Whenever by
any
of these means thou hast come to the knowledge of the will of God, I
desire
thee to assume the wings of humility and obedience, and, as if in
ethereal
flight or like the quickest sunbeam, hasten to execute it and thereby
fulfill
the Divine pleasure.

Besides these means of instruction, the Most High has still others in
order
to direct the soul; namely, He intimates His perfect will to them in a
supernatural manner, and reveals to them many sacraments. This kind of
instruction is of many and different degrees; not all of them are
common
or ordinary to all souls; for the Lord dispenses His light in measure
and
weight (Wis. 11, 21). Sometimes He speaks to the heart and the interior
feelings in commands; at others, in correction, advising or
instructing:
sometimes He moves the heart to ask Him; at other times He proposes
clearly
what He desires, in order that the soul may be moved to fulfill it;
again
He manifests, as in a clear mirror, great mysteries, in order that they
may be seen and recognized by the intellect and loved by the will. But
this great and infinite Good is always sweet in commanding, powerful in
giving the necessary help for obedience, just in His commands, quick in
disposing circumstances so that He can be obeyed, notwithstanding all
the
impediments which hinder the fulfillment of His most holy will.

In receiving this Divine light, my daughter, I wish to see thee very
attentive,
and very quick and diligent in following it up in deed. In order to
hear
this most delicate and spiritual voice of the Lord it is necessary,
that
the faculties of the soul be purged from earthly grossness and that the
creature live entirely according to the spirit; for the animal man does
not perceive the elevated things of the Divinity (1 Cor. 2, 14). Be
attentive
then to His secrets (Is. 34, 16) and forget all that is of the outside;
listen, my daughter, and incline thy ear; free thyself from all visible
things (Ps. 44, 11). And in order that thou mayest be diligent,
cultivate
love; for love is a fire, which does not have its effect until the
material
is prepared; therefore let thy heart always be disposed and prepared.
Whenever
the Most High bids thee or communicates to thee anything for the
welfare
of souls, or especially for their eternal salvation, devote thyself to
it entirely; for they are bought at the inestimable price of the Blood
of the Lamb and of Divine love. Do not allow thyself to be hindered in
this matter by thy own lowliness and bashfulness; but overcome the fear
which restrains thee, for if thou thyself art of small value and
usefulness,
the Most High is rich (1 Pet. 1, 18), powerful, great, and by Himself
performs
all things (Rom. 10, 12). Thy promptness and affection will not go
without
its reward, although I wish thee rather to be moved entirely by the
pleasure
of thy Lord.